Bobby Petrino said to be ‘built-in’ interim coach if Arkansas Razorbacks football coach Sam Pittman is fired

4 hours ago 1

Arkansas Razorbacks football coach Sam Pittman survived a 4-8 campaign in 2023 to turn things around somewhat and finish 7-6 last year.

Still, CBS Sports’ Carter Bahns is describing him as a sitting duck whose exit is written in the stars.

The main reason? Bobby Petrino, whom Bahns called a “built-in” interim head coaching option, could be a viable direction if Pittman’s years-long malaise since the 2021 season manifests into a slow start.

Another reason? Pittman is in a “year-to-year” situation, which means only exceptional results can save him from what feels like the inevitable.

“If you just want to sit around, shoot the bull and have a beer, Pittman's your guy. This salt-of-the-earth coach is one of the most beloved figures in the profession. But winning percentage rules all, and in the hyper-competitive SEC, 2023's 4-8 mark doesn't cut it. That tied for the program's worst record since 2013. It's beyond coincidental that the last coach to win big at Arkansas, Bobby Petrino, was hired as offensive coordinator. If athletic director Hunter Yurachek makes a move, he's got a built-in interim coach ... maybe more than that,” Bahns wrote.

“Pittman did what he needed to do in order to save his job, albeit without instilling an immense amount of confidence that there are terrific days ahead. In winning all the games Arkansas should win, he earned a bowl berth -- and with that came a victory and an automatic one-year extension. Pull off another upset like last year's win over Tennessee, and perhaps Pittman will stick around even longer. But this still feels very much like a year-by-year situation.”

Coaches in this situation rarely pull it out.

Eli Drinkwitz and Billy Napier are Pittman’s best-case scenarios, but Bryan Harsin and Gus Malzahn feel like the likeliest outcomes. And Malzahn had far more success on the Plains than Pittman is having in Fayetteville.

Read Entire Article